His Angel Fallen
by Lieutenant Caine
Summary: And if I wrote the scripts, here's what the premier episode would have looked like.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N I promise that I will not allow Athena to re-write every episode that comes along, but this one was just so ripe for it. So once again I give you my version (what's that? Oh my apologies Athena…your version) of Season Nine, Episode One: "Fallen".**

**H**

**His Angel Fallen**

The elevator doors slid open to reveal Horatio, gun in hand, ready to fire at the slightest sign of trouble. His blue eyes widened in stunned disbelief at the carnage in front of him. Bodies littered the floor of CSI headquarters in various poses of agony. No one moved, no one breathed, except… The slight motion arrested his attention and he aimed his weapon. Eric lay sprawled on top of Calleigh where he'd fallen in his failed attempt to carry her to safety. His arm gestured feebly. His lips moved and he seemed to be trying to say something.

"Eric?"

The big Cuban struggled to form the words, but his mind was heavy and his lungs refused to cooperate with his efforts to draw in oxygen.

"Eric?"

Finally one agonized word made itself clear.

"Air…" and Eric's hand pointed again desperately toward the window.

In a flash, Horatio understood. Spinning, he fired five rapid shots, shattering the glass window and letting in a rush of clean, fresh outside air.

Eric gagged and coughed and struggled to his knees beside the downed ballistics expert.

"Calleigh…breathe…breathe." Eric's voice was panicked.

Horatio knelt at her head, gently placing one hand over her heart, feeling for a pulse. His own pulse raced at the deadly pallor of her face and the painful absence of any visible respiration.

"Breathe, Sweetheart. I need you to breathe."

Nothing.

"Calleigh! Breathe. Breathe!" Eric was almost screaming.

Horatio took Calleigh's face in his hands and carefully shook her.

"Calleigh. I need you to listen to me. Breathe, Sweetheart. Breathe for me."

Finally Calleigh coughed and gasped and her eyes flickered open. She looked up into the troubled deep blue of Horatio's eyes.

"Horatio," she gasped, trying to sit up.

"No, Sweetheart,just rest. I need you to rest." His hand stroked back a lock of blonde hair from her face and then caressed her cheek in spite of Eric's watchful gaze.

"Check the others Eric." Horatio said, his eyes scanning the nightmarish scene in front of him.

"But H…"

"Eric. Check the others. I'll stay with Calleigh." Horatio's voice left no room for argument.

Eric stumbled to his feet and began checking on the people who were beginning to revive. He helped the receptionist sit up and reassured her that everything would be fine. He was just turning toward Walter who was a little slower than the rest in recovering his faculties when he heard Natalia cry out.

"Jesse! No! Oh my God, get me an ambulance! Jesse! No!"

Eric raced to her side and found her frantically doing chest compressions on the downed detective.

"Breathe, Jesse! Please breathe." Natalia begged. She kept doing CPR until Eric realized that it was too late.

Tenderly he put out an arm and restrained Natalia.

"No! He's not…he can't be…." Natalia fought Eric's gentle grip until he tightened his hold on her and whispered softly, "Natalia…Natalia…he's gone.

"NO!" Natalia crumpled over the body of Jesse Cardoza and wept. Eric kept a comforting arm around her shoulder as he too fought back tears.

Horatio kept one eye on the scene in the office and the other on the shaken blonde in his arms. His jaw clenched and his heart raced, and his blood burned with the desire to strike out at the man who had taken one of their own away from them.

"Horatio?" Calleigh said softly, noticing the working of his jaw muscles and the way he kept blinking rapidly as though he had something in his eye.

"Horatio, what's wrong?"

"We…" his throat worked convulsively and he stopped. " We lost Jesse, Cal."

"Oh, no…not Jesse. Oh god, Horatio." She buried her face against his neck and cried.

Horatio's arms tightened around her and held her close. He pushed aside his own anger and grief for a moment and focused entirely on the woman in his arms. She was his life, his world, his very being. He could only thank heaven that she was not the one still lying cold and lifeless on the floor. It was terrible to lose one of his team, and the murderer would pay a steep price. Jesse's death filled him with an intense burning rage, a desire to see justice delivered swiftly and brutally. But the thought of losing Calleigh sent a chill through his body that frightened him. Had he lost her…he would have killed on sight with no questions.

He nuzzled into the softness of her hair and squeezed his eyes shut, allowing one single tear to escape and become lost in the long silken strands. Then he steeled himself, shut off his emotions and loosened his hold on Calleigh. She tried to hold on when he pulled back from her, but he resolutely set her back from his arms and stood up, taking her hand and pulling her up with him. He spoke quietly, low enough that Calleigh alone heard his words.

"Calleigh, we have to focus. We've got a job to do and we can't let anything get in the way. Do I make myself clear?" His eyes searched hers,desperately hoping she'd understand that he wasn't just shoving her away. He needed her at the top of her game, needed them all at the top of their game to catch Jesse's murderer. There was no time for personal feelings or relationships to get in the way of their work. Tears and comforting would come later in the privacy of Horatio's home, where he could hold her as long as she needed and not have to let her go because of duty.

"I understand, Horatio. All business."

Desperately wishing he could kiss away the remaining tears from her green eyes, Horatio smiled down at her and nodded.

"You hang in there, Sweetheart. We'll make it through this…together."

Then Horatio turned to face the rest of his heartbroken team.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Later in the day…

Starling looked up from his work on the deck of the 50 ft cruiser and smiled as he saw Melissa approaching. Vaulting easily over the railing of the boat he landed with a soft thud on the wooden pier.

"Hey, honey. I'm surprised you made it."

"Looks like you were trying to shove off without me."

"Don't tell me you didn't notice all the people out there looking for yours truly," Starling said.

He took her into his arms and hugged her close, his eyes scanning the scenery behind her. Suddenly he pulled back and snarled at her. "Did you really think I was that stupid? I know you're wearing a wire." He reached inside the collar of her shirt and yanked out the thin black cord. He threw it into the water and laughed as he watched it sink into the salty depths.

"I can't believe I did all that for you. I killed a cop…for you." Melissa's voice held more than mild annoyance.

"You fool. Don't you understand? I have more intelligence in my pinky finger than they have all together. And you…you would have never been able to gas that lab if I hadn't walked you thorough it every step of the way."

Starling's face was a smug mask of triumph until he heard the ominous sound of a gun being cocked from somewhere behind him. Even at that, he simply smirked and turned around to face Horatio.

"You got nothing on me, Caine. Your wire's in the water."

"I wouldn't be so fast, Starling. Tell him, Melissa."

Melissa untied the belt of her jacked and pulled out the second hidden mic and gave it to Horatio. "I think that's everything you need, Lieutenant Caine." Then looking at Starling with an expression of revulsion and disgust she said, "Sorry, honey. I was looking out for yours truly this time."

"Get down on the ground, hands behind your head." Frank instructed. "Mr. Starling, you are under arrest for the murder of Jesse Cardoza."

Horatio stepped close to the psychotic genius and placed the muzzle of his gun at the back of the man's head. His finger itched to pull the trigger.

"Jesse Cardoza…" Horatio paused a moment. "Jesse Cardoza was our friend."

For a fraction of a second, he pressed the gun deeper into the soft spot at the back of Starling's head then pulled back and looked at Frank.

"Frank. Take him away."

Horatio watched as several uniformed MDPD officers lead Starling away none too gently. Even after they left, he stood for several moments more on the pier watching the sinking sun. A soft ocean breeze ruffled his hair and stirred the air about his face. With the tangy smell of the ocean came the faint ghost of a familiar fragrance and Horatio turned his head to the side and inhaled deeply. The first smile he'd had all day lit his face as Calleigh's favorite perfume, still clinging to his jacket, teased him. _Calleigh, my love. I could have lost you. _That thought jolted him from his trance like state, and he turned and strode quickly back to the Hummer.

Back at the lab he was not surprised to see that each of his team was struggling with the loss of their team member and friend. Not surprisingly it was quiet and somber throughout the offices. When he came to Walter's area he was surprised to see that the young man was nowhere to be seen. Concern flowed through him swift and sure and he stepped quickly into Ryan's office.

"Mr. Wolfe."

"Yeah, H. What's up?"

"Seen Walter? Any idea where he is?"

"He said something about basketball down at the beachfront courts."

Horatio nodded, remembering that Walter and Jesse often played one on one basketball in the evenings after shift ended.

"I think it might do this team good to go play some basketball, Mr. Wolfe."

Ryan looked at him for a moment before comprehension dawned in his eyes. "I think you're right, H. None of us needs to be alone right now."

Walter threw up a haphazard shot and growled in frustration as the orange orb clanged off the backboard, totally missing the basket. He rebounded the ball and slammed it against the rim, sending it caroming off behind him. It bounced several times until it landed in the hands of a man dressed in black.

"H?" Walter said, surprise evident in his tone and on his face. Then he saw the rest of the team approaching and felt tears sting his eyes. "How did you know I'd be here?"

"Where else would you be?" Horatio said kindly. "How about a game of basket ball?"

There were some few moments of confusion while everyone took sides, leaving only Calleigh and Horatio to sit out the action. They sat quietly on the bench off to the side watching as their friends and co-workers burned off some of their grief and frustration in a fast-paced game of pick-up basketball. Eric missed a shot and the ball bounced and rolled directly onto Horatio's feet. He smiled once, picked up the ball, and walked to the free throw line, took off his jacket and laid it carefully on the ground beside him.

"No, way H." Walter said in an awed voice, watching as Horatio held the ball in his hands, and sized up the shot.

The moment seemed lacking and he almost faltered, but then recovered and spoke softly.

"For Jesse."

He bent his knees slightly and then with a quick flick of his wrist, sent the ball sailing toward the basket. It swished softly through the nylon cords.

Somehow that moment seemed to bring peace to the little group assembled on the basketball court in the fading sunlight. One by one they began to drift away until it was just Horatio and Calleigh left standing together alone.

Slipping closer to his side, Calleigh laid her head on his shoulder and whispered softly.

"I'm tired, Horatio. Take me home."

His arm came around her waist and he pulled her into a warm embrace. Ever aware of the very public nature of their surroundings Horatio suppressed the sudden urge to kiss her.

"That makes two of us, Sweetheart. Home sounds mighty fine to me."

Hand in hand they walked toward the Hummer, not speaking, merely absorbing the strength and comfort of each other's presence.

**A/N It was not my intention to merely rewrite the episode but to interject the missing H/Cal action that Athena envisioned. **

**I own nothing of CSI-Miami and I receive no profit from these stories save the pleasure of knowing I've made at least a few readers happy.**

**H**


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